Mountain’s Leslie West Performs for First Time Since Leg Amputation
Former Mountain guitarist Leslie West heroically rolled onto the stage of New York’s BB King Blues Club Tuesday night (Jan. 31) to perform in public for the first time since he was forced to have his lower right leg amputated as a result of diabetes complications.
West had recently been forced to cancel a tour because he didn’t have an automobile that could transport his wheelchair. But this show was able to go ahead as scheduled, thanks to the gift of an MV-1 automobile from the Vehicle Production Group.
According to the company, the MV-1 is “the only factory-built mode of transportation that meets or exceeds the guidelines of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) direct from the factory.”
West, who performed while sitting in a wheelchair, opened the show with ‘People Get Ready’ — but was forced to pause halfway through after being overwhelmed with emotion, as the crowd responded with a standing ovation.
West certainly has maintained a positive attitude about the ordeal, recently telling New Jersey paper The Record: “Hey, thank God it wasn’t my arm.” He’s currently touring with Uli Jon Roth and Michael Schenker and is scheduled to perform tonight in Foxboro, Mass.
Watch Leslie West Perform At His First Show Since His Leg Amputation Surgery